• ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ GOLDEN FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH SOAP MOISTURIZING YIELD: 3 POUNDS OR 12 (4-OUNCE) BARS LYE DISCOUNT: 5% SCENT: ORANGE, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH START TO FINISH TIME: 1 to 2 hours, 24 hours insulation, 4 to 6 weeks to cure Clever name, right? This is a perfect soap for the holiday season, and a big hit for everyone who understands the beneficial properties of turmeric, frankincense, and myrrh. I wanted to give this soap a golden color without it being orange, brown, or yellow. I achieved this by simply adding turmeric. When added at trace, turmeric always makes soap a bright yellow color, but within 24 hours it mellows to a light golden color. It’s perfect! SAFETY FIRST! Remember to wear your safety equipment and mix the lye water outside. Tell everyone you live with that where you’re working is off limits. Give yourself enough time to complete the recipe. EQUIPMENT kitchen scale measuring spoons glass bowls large spoon large stainless steel pot
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ small zip-top plastic bag thermometer mold parchment paper stick blender (or hand mixer) whisk rubber spatula blanket INGREDIENTS 9 ounces tallow 9 ounces olive oil 6 ounces coconut oil 6 ounces mango butter 2 ounces castor oil 4.4 ounces lye 12.2 ounces filtered water 0.2 ounce frankincense essential oil 0.2 ounce myrrh essential oil 0.8 ounce orange essential oil 2 tablespoons ground turmeric 1. HEAT THE FATS/OILS In a large pot, combine the tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, mango butter, and castor oil. Heat over medium-low heat until they are melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 100° to 110°F. 2. MIX THE LYE WATER Put on safety gear, including protective eyewear, a mask, gloves, and long sleeves. Outside, carefully add the lye crystals to the water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100° to 110°F. If the oils and
lye water cool at different rates, you can use a cold- or hot-water bath in the sink. 3. PREPARE THE MOLD While the oils and lye water cool, line the mold with parchment paper. 4. COMBINE AND BRING TO TRACE When both the oils and lye water are 100° to 110°F, carefully pour the lye water into the pot of oils. Use a stick blender (or hand mixer) to mix for 1 to 2 minutes and then let the mixture rest for 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat mixing and resting until light trace. 5. MIX IN NATURAL ADDITIVES When the soap reaches light to medium trace, add the frankincense, myrrh, and orange essential oils, and blend for 30 seconds. 6. MIX IN COLORANTS Transfer 1 cup of the soap to a bowl. Add the turmeric and whisk until there are no lumps. Return the turmeric soap to the large batch and blend until fully incorporated. 7. MOLD THE SOAP Pour the soap mixture into the mold, cover with a lid or parchment paper, and insulate with a blanket for 24 hours. 8. CUT AND CURE Remove the soap from the mold. If it seems too soft to remove, wait another 12 to 24 hours before removing. Cut the soap into 12 (4-ounce) bars. Allow the bars to cure in a well-ventilated location for 4 to 6 weeks.
• • • ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ CHOCOLATE-COVERED STRAWBERRY SOAP GENTLE MOISTURIZING VEGAN YIELD: 3 POUNDS OR 12 (4-OUNCE) BARS LYE DISCOUNT: 5% SCENT: LAVENDER AND VANILLA START TO FINISH TIME: 1 to 2 hours, 24 hours insulation, 4 to 6 weeks to cure Chocolate-covered strawberries are considered a decadent treat. This recipe has a chocolaty candy scent created completely naturally by using cocoa powder, cocoa butter, vanilla oil, and lavender essential oil. The addition of puréed strawberries makes this a soap for special occasions and gifts. You will divide the soap into two bowls to create a chocolate and strawberry swirl that sinks into the batter at light trace. SAFETY FIRST! Remember to wear your safety equipment and mix the lye water outside. Tell everyone you live with that where you’re working is off limits. Give yourself enough time to complete the recipe. EQUIPMENT kitchen scale measuring spoons glass bowls large spoon large stainless steel pot
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ small zip-top plastic bag thermometer mold parchment paper stick blender (or hand mixer) whisk rubber spatula chopstick blanket INGREDIENTS 13 ounces olive oil 8 ounces coconut oil 8 ounces cocoa butter 2 ounces sweet almond oil 2 ounces castor oil 4.6 ounces lye 12.5 ounces filtered water 0.5 ounce lavender essential oil 0.5 ounce vanilla oil (not vanilla extract) 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 2 ounces strawberries, puréed 1 tablespoon rose clay 1. HEAT THE FATS/OILS In a large pot, combine the olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, and castor oil. Heat over medium-low heat until they are melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 100° to 110°F. 2. MIX THE LYE WATER Put on safety gear, including protective eyewear, a
mask, gloves, and long sleeves. Outside, carefully add the lye crystals to the water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100° to 110°F. If the oil and lye water cool at different rates, you can use a cold- or hot-water bath in the sink. 3. PREPARE THE MOLD While the oils and lye water cool, line the mold with parchment paper. 4. COMBINE AND BRING TO TRACE When both the oils and lye water are 100° to 110°F, carefully pour the lye water into the pot of oils. Use a stick blender (or hand mixer) to mix for 1 to 2 minutes and then let the mixture rest for 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat mixing and resting until very light trace. 5. MIX IN NATURAL ADDITIVES When the soap reaches very light trace, add the lavender essential oil and vanilla oil, and blend for a few seconds. 6. MIX IN COLORANTS Divide the batch evenly into 2 bowls. Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and whisk until there are no lumps. Add the puréed strawberries and rose clay to the other and whisk until there are no lumps. 7. MOLD THE SOAP AND SWIRL While the soap is still at light trace, pour the chocolate soap into the mold. Carefully pour the strawberry soap over the chocolate soap, moving back and forth horizontally across the length of the mold. Insert a chopstick into the batter until it reaches the bottom of the mold. Drag the chopstick vertically back and forth across the length of the mold. Gently swirl in large strokes with the chopstick. The less you swirl, the better. Cover with a lid or parchment paper and insulate lightly with a towel for 24 hours. 8. CUT AND CURE Remove the soap from the mold. If it seems too soft to remove, wait another 12 to 24 hours before removing. Cut the soap into 12 (4-ounce) bars. Allow the bars to cure in a well-ventilated location for 4 to 6 weeks.
TIP: The chocolate and strawberry swirls in this recipe are created at light trace so that they will sink into one another. You can give them a little swirl, but don’t swirl too much or you will lose the effect. Cover but do not insulate heavily because the sugars from the purée can cause this soap to possibly overheat and turn wrinkly and dark.
• ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ GOAT MILK, CRANBERRY, AND ORANGE SOAP MOISTURIZING YIELD: 3 POUNDS OR 12 (4-OUNCE) BARS LYE DISCOUNT: 15% SCENT: ORANGE START TO FINISH TIME: 2 hours, 24 hours in mold, 4 to 6 weeks to cure The first time I made this was actually at the request of someone in my shop. My customers always suggest wonderful ideas for soap varieties. This customer wanted an orange-scented soap that had pure cranberry juice and goat milk to create a bar that had a high amount of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. I decided to make it as a layered bar. It’s been a huge hit, so I’m happy to pass along the recipe to you. EQUIPMENT kitchen scale small saucepan measuring spoons glass bowls large spoon large stainless steel pot small zip-top plastic bag thermometer mold parchment paper
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ stick blender (or hand mixer) whisk rubber spatula INGREDIENTS For the infusion 8 ounces olive oil 1 heaping tablespoon annatto seeds For the soap peels from 1 orange, dehydrated and cut into small pieces 8.9 ounces water 2 ounces goat milk 2 ounces 100% pure cranberry juice 11 ounces lard 6 ounces olive oil 5 ounces annatto seed–infused olive oil 9 ounces coconut oil 3 ounces castor oil 4.3 ounces lye 1 ounce orange essential oil 2 teaspoons Moroccan orange clay 2 to 3 teaspoons rose clay SAFETY FIRST! Remember to wear your safety equipment and mix the lye water outside. Tell everyone you live with that where you’re working is off limits. Give yourself enough time to complete the recipe.
PREP AHEAD 1. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Cut the peels from 1 orange into thin strips and spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet. Dehydrate in the oven for 1 to 2 hours, checking to make sure they don’t burn. Set aside to cool, then cut into small pieces. 2. Prepare an annatto seed infusion in olive oil. FOR A HOT INFUSION: Combine 1 heaping tablespoon of annatto seeds and 8 ounces of olive oil in a small saucepan and heat over low heat to 250°F, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. FOR A COLD INFUSION: Place 1 heaping tablespoon of annatto seeds in an 8-ounce jar. Pour in enough olive oil to fill the jar, seal, and set on your windowsill for 6 weeks, shaking occasionally. Whichever method you choose, measure out 5 ounces of the annatto seed infusion (reserve the remainder for another batch). 3. Combine the water, goat milk, and cranberry juice in a large glass, plastic, or stainless steel container. Place the container in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. If it turns to slush that is okay, but you don’t want it frozen solid. The colder your milk-water, the lighter your soap will be after adding the lye. 1. HEAT THE FATS/OILS In a large pot, combine the lard, olive oil, annatto seed–infused olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil. Heat over medium-low heat until they are melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 90° to 100°F. 2. MIX THE LYE WATER Put on safety gear, including protective eyewear, a mask, gloves, and long sleeves. Outside, very slowly pour only about ¼ of the lye crystals into the cold milk-juice-water and stir until dissolved. Let cool for 20 minutes. Repeat until all the lye is dissolved into the milk-juicewater. If the milk-juice-water still browns, don’t worry; your soap will just be darker. Allow to cool to 90° to 100°F. If the oils and lye water cool at different rates, you can use a cold- or hot-water bath in the sink.
3. PREPARE THE MOLD While the oils and lye water cool, line the mold with parchment paper. 4. COMBINE AND BRING TO TRACE When both the oils and lye water are 90° to 100°F, carefully pour the lye water into the pot of oils. Use a stick blender (or hand mixer) to mix for 2 to 3 minutes and then let the mixture rest for 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat mixing and resting until light trace. 5. MIX IN NATURAL ADDITIVES When the soap reaches light to medium trace, add the orange essential oil and blend for 30 seconds. 6. MIX IN COLORANTS Transfer 2 to 2½ cups of the soap to a bowl and add the Moroccan orange clay, whisking until there are no lumps. Set aside. Transfer an additional 1 cup from the large batch to another bowl and add the rose clay, whisking until there are no lumps. Set aside. You will have about 2½ cups of yellow annatto soap remaining in the pot. 7. MOLD THE SOAP AND LAYER When the soap is at thick trace, scoop one color at a time into the mold, using a wide spatula to gently guide each layer onto the other if necessary. The order of the layers is up to you. Top with dried orange peel down the center. Do not insulate unless your house is below 75°F, in which case insulate by placing a towel only around the outside edges of the mold to avoid a partial gel. 8. CUT AND CURE Remove the soap from the mold. If it seems too soft to remove, wait another 12 to 24 hours before removing. Cut the soap into 12 (4-ounce) bars. Allow the bars to cure in a well-ventilated location for 4 to 6 weeks. TIP: Soap needs to be at thick trace (like pudding) before layering. Use a spatula to guide the pouring so that the soap doesn’t go into the first layer, but lies on top. Goat milk soap can get hot because of the sugars. This soap also has sugars from the cranberry juice, so do not insulate or it may
overheat.
• ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ RED, WHITE, AND BLUE STRIPED SOAP MOISTURIZING YIELD: 3 POUNDS OR 12 (4-OUNCE) BARS LYE DISCOUNT: 15% SCENT: VETIVER AND LEMON START TO FINISH TIME: 1 to 2 hours, 24 hours insulation, 4 to 6 weeks to cure This is a very festive layered soap that will introduce you to using woad. At light trace, you will divide the soap into three bowls, where woad, kaolin, and madder root will be added for color and then layered one on top of the other for a patriotic flag appearance. If desired, you can choose not to scrape the bowls after pouring and later scrape them onto the top of the batch evenly, swirling to create a confetti look to the top (see the tip below). SAFETY FIRST! Remember to wear your safety equipment and mix the lye water outside. Tell everyone you live with that where you’re working is off limits. Give yourself enough time to complete the recipe. EQUIPMENT kitchen scale measuring spoons glass bowls large spoon large stainless steel pot
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ small zip-top plastic bag thermometer mold parchment paper stick blender (or hand mixer) whisk rubber spatula blanket INGREDIENTS 10 ounces tallow 8 ounces olive oil 8 ounces coconut oil 5 ounces shea butter 3 ounces castor oil 4.5 ounces lye 12.9 ounces filtered water 0.5 ounce vetiver essential oil 0.5 ounce lemon essential oil 3 tablespoons madder root 1 tablespoon white kaolin clay 2 teaspoons woad powder 1. HEAT THE FATS/OILS In a large pot, combine the tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and castor oil. Heat over medium-low heat until they are melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 100° to 110°F. 2. MIX THE LYE WATER Put on safety gear, including protective eyewear, a mask, gloves, and long sleeves. Outside, carefully add the lye crystals to the
water and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool to 100° to 110°F. If the oils and lye water cool at different rates, you can use a cold- or hot-water bath in the sink. 3. PREPARE THE MOLD While the oils and lye water cool, line the mold with parchment paper. 4. COMBINE AND BRING TO TRACE When both the oils and lye water are 100° to 110°F, carefully pour the lye water into the pot of oils. Use a stick blender (or hand mixer) to mix for 1 to 2 minutes and then let the mixture rest for 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat mixing and resting until light trace. 5. MIX IN NATURAL ADDITIVES When the soap reaches light trace, add the vetiver and lemon essential oils and blend for 30 seconds. 6. MIX IN COLORANTS Divide the soap into 3 equal parts. Add the madder root clay to one, the kaolin to the second, and the woad powder to the third. Whisk each until there are no lumps. 7. MOLD THE SOAP AND LAYER When the soaps are at thick trace, pour the red soap into the mold and smooth with a rubber spatula. Pour the white soap into the mold carefully, using a rubber spatula to guide the pour gently onto the soap. Repeat with the blue soap on top. Cover with a lid or parchment paper and insulate with a blanket for 24 hours. 8. CUT AND CURE Remove the soap from the mold. If it seems too soft to remove, wait another 12 to 24 hours before removing. Cut the soap into 12 (4-ounce) bars. Allow the bars to cure in a well-ventilated location for 4 to 6 weeks. TIP: For a variation, when pouring the soap, don’t scrape the white and red bowls until the end. Scrape the soap from the sides of the bowls evenly over the top of the blue layer. Use a chopstick to gently swirl the red and white into the top ¼ inch of the blue soap.
• ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ GOAT MILK AND HONEY CONFETTI SOAP MOISTURIZING YIELD: 3 POUNDS OR 12 (4-OUNCE) BARS LYE DISCOUNT: 15% SCENT: ORANGE, ROSEMARY, LEMON, AND YLANG-YLANG START TO FINISH TIME: 2 hours, 24 hours in mold, 4 to 6 weeks to cure This soap is fun for every occasion because it has curls of whatever soap you want to use inside it. I like using a bar of the Acne Charcoal and Tea Tree Soap (here ) and Sensual Rose Soap (here ), but you can use whatever soaps you have on hand. The confetti look, combined with the uplifting and stimulating scents of orange, rosemary, lemon, and ylang-ylang, make this a really fun soap. SAFETY FIRST! Remember to wear your safety equipment and mix the lye water outside. Tell everyone you live with that where you’re working is off limits. Give yourself enough time to complete the recipe. EQUIPMENT potato peeler kitchen scale measuring spoons glass bowls
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ large spoon large stainless steel pot small zip-top plastic bag thermometer mold parchment paper stick blender (or hand mixer) rubber spatula INGREDIENTS 2 bars of soap (not cream-colored), shaved 8.5 ounces filtered water 4 ounces goat milk 9 ounces olive oil 8 ounces coconut oil 8 ounces tallow 5 ounces castor oil 3 ounces grapeseed oil 4 ounces lye 0.25 ounce orange essential oil 0.25 ounce rosemary essential oil 0.25 ounce lemon essential oil 0.25 ounce ylang-ylang essential oil 1 tablespoon raw honey PREP AHEAD 1. Shave the 2 bars of soap with a potato peeler. Try to make curls. Set aside. 2. Combine the water and goat milk in a large glass, plastic, or stainless steel container.
Place the container in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours. It is okay if a slush forms, as long as it doesn’t freeze solid. The colder your milk-water, the lighter your soap will be after adding the lye. 1. HEAT THE FATS/OILS In a large pot, combine the olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, castor oil, and grapeseed oil. Heat over medium-low heat until they are melted and incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 90° to 100°F. 2. MIX THE LYE WATER Put on safety gear, including protective eyewear, a mask, gloves, and long sleeves. Outside, very slowly pour only about ¼ of the lye into the cold milk-water and stir until dissolved. Let cool for 20 minutes. Repeat until all the lye is dissolved into the milk-water. If the milkwater still browns, don’t worry; your soap will just be darker. Allow to cool to 90° to 100°F. If the oils and lye water cool at different rates, you can use a cold- or hot-water bath in the sink. 3. PREPARE THE MOLD While the oils and lye water cool, line the mold with parchment paper. 4. COMBINE AND BRING TO TRACE When both the oils and lye water are 90° to 100°F, carefully pour the lye water into the pot of oils. Use a stick blender (or hand mixer) to mix for 2 to 3 minutes and then let the mixture rest for 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat mixing and resting until light trace. 5. MIX IN NATURAL ADDITIVES When the soap reaches light trace, add the orange, rosemary, lemon, and ylang-ylang essential oils and the honey, and blend for 30 seconds. Add the soap shavings and gently stir with a large spoon. 6. MOLD THE SOAP Pour the soap mixture into the mold and cover with a lid or parchment paper. Do not insulate unless your house is below 75°F, in which case insulate by placing a towel around the outside edges to avoid a
partial gel. 7. CUT AND CURE Remove the soap from the mold. If it seems too soft to remove, wait another 12 to 24 hours before removing. Cut the soap into 12 (4-ounce) bars. Allow the bars to cure in a well-ventilated location for 4 to 6 weeks. TIP: Milk can scald when lye is added. Placing the milk-water in the freezer until it’s very cold helps prevent this. Be sure to add the lye slowly. It is okay to really take your time, coming back every 20 minutes to add a little more. Milk can also make your batch get hotter than usual, so just insulate a milk recipe lightly with a towel if you’re concerned about getting a good gel for color. Honey can also make soap come to trace faster, so add it and blend really well right before pouring the soap into the mold.
• ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ CHAMPAGNE SOAP GENTLE YIELD: 3 POUNDS OR 12 (4-OUNCE) BARS LYE DISCOUNT: 10% SCENT: ROSE START TO FINISH TIME: 2 hours, 24 hours in mold, 4 to 6 weeks to cure This is a very elegant-looking soap. It has a light rose tint, with pink and white swirls dripped into the center at light trace. This causes them to sink into the soap and not lie on top. And the rose scent is very fitting for a pink champagne soap. Remember to fully prepare the champagne ahead of time and chill until slushy. This will ensure there is no overheating so your batch will turn out beautifully. SAFETY FIRST! Remember to wear your safety equipment and mix the lye water outside. Tell everyone you live with that where you’re working is off limits. Give yourself enough time to complete the recipe. EQUIPMENT kitchen scale saucepan measuring spoons glass bowls large spoon large stainless steel pot small zip-top plastic bag
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ thermometer mold parchment paper stick blender (or hand mixer) whisk rubber spatula INGREDIENTS 7.2 ounces filtered water 5 ounces champagne 10 ounces olive oil 10 ounces lard 9 ounces coconut oil 3 ounces castor oil 4.3 ounces lye 1 ounce rose essential oil (3% dilution) 4 teaspoons rose clay (divided) 1 tablespoon white kaolin clay PREP AHEAD 1. Pour 10 ounces of the champagne into a saucepan and allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. 2. Weigh out 5 ounces of the champagne and pour into a glass, plastic, or stainless steel container. Add 7.2 ounces of water and place in the freezer until slushy but not frozen solid. Check after 1 hour and then check every 20 minutes. 1. HEAT THE FATS/OILS In a large pot, combine the olive oil, lard, coconut oil, and castor oil. Heat over medium-low heat until they are melted and
incorporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 80° to 90°F. 2. MIX THE LYE WATER Put on safety gear, including protective eyewear, a mask, gloves, and long sleeves. Outside, very slowly pour only about ¼ of the lye into the cold champagne-water and stir until dissolved. Let cool for 20 minutes. Repeat until all the lye is dissolved into the champagne-water. Allow to cool to 80° to 90°F. If the oils and lye water cool at different rates, you can use a cold- or hot-water bath in the sink. 3. PREPARE THE MOLD While the oils and lye water cool, line the mold with parchment paper. 4. COMBINE AND BRING TO TRACE When both the oils and lye water are 80° to 90°F, carefully pour the lye water into the pot of oils. Use a stick blender (or hand mixer) to mix for 1 to 2 minutes and then let the mixture rest for 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat mixing and resting until light trace. 5. MIX IN NATURAL ADDITIVES When the soap reaches very light trace, add the rose essential oil and 1 teaspoon of the rose clay, and blend for a few seconds. 6. MIX IN COLORANTS Transfer ½ cup of the soap to a small bowl and add the remaining 3 teaspoons of rose clay. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps. Transfer another ½ cup of soap from the main batch to a separate bowl and add the white kaolin clay. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps. 7. MOLD THE SOAP AND SWIRL While still at light trace, pour the large batch of soap into the mold. From at least 1 foot above the mold, carefully pour the pink and white soaps over the soap in the mold in a zigzag pattern. Cover with a lid or parchment paper. Do not insulate. 8. CUT AND CURE Remove the soap from the mold after 24 hours. If it seems too soft to remove, wait another 12 to 24 hours before removing. Cut
the soap into 12 (4-ounce) bars. Allow the bars to cure in a well-ventilated location for 4 to 6 weeks. TIP: This is a soap that needs to be poured at thin trace to get the desired rose and pink swirls within. Champagne can cause the soap to overheat if not prepared well ahead of time and if insulated too much, so do not skip the preparation step. If it starts to crack or mound down the middle of the mold, it is starting to overheat. Place in the refrigerator, but be prepared for it to overflow.
Left (clockwise from top): Loofah Exfoliant Soap, here ; Spring Cutouts, here ; Acne Charcoal and Tea Tree Soap, here
chapter eleven DESIGNING RECIPES, WRAPPING SOAPS & MORE If you have worked your way through this book, that means you’ve gone through a few tutorials. You have experience making your own soaps, and maybe you also made a few shampoo bars or even a laundry soap. You even have experience adding natural colors and exfoliants like coffee and oats to your recipes. What’s next? Designing your own recipes is not only fun, but it’s really easy with the right ingredients. I’ve already provided basic information on base oils, natural additives, and essential oils, so make sure to use those chapters as references for your recipe designs. Now it’s your turn! And after you’ve designed and made your own soap creations, you’ll want to label them for others. I’ll give you some fun ideas for that as well, and I’ll cover what things to consider when deciding whether to use stamps, paper, or plastic wraps for your soaps. Whether you intend to sell your own soaps or you want to make them as gifts for family and
friends, you’ll be designing your own soaps and packaging them for others in no time.
RECIPE DESIGN STEP-BY-STEP Designing your own recipes can be exciting when you have the right tools, like a great lye calculator and a basic knowledge of oils and what they do within soap. I’ve tried a lot of soap calculators, and my favorite by far is on SoapCalc.net . The lye calculator you’ll find there is spot-on. It will tell you many things about your creation, like the projected hardness; characteristics about your soap, like how bubbly, creamy, cleansing, or conditioning it will be; how much water you will need; how much lye you will need; and the typical amounts of essential oil you will need for the size batch you are making. You’ll need to change the amount from pounds to ounces and adjust the superfat if you want a bar that has more than 5 percent leftover oils. Some soapers go up to as much as 20 percent. After that, just fill in the amount of base oils and calculate the recipe to see all the qualities of the bar you’ve created, as well as how much lye and water to add. Select Your Base Oils Selecting your base oils is an important part of starting the soapmaking process, but how do you know which oils to put in the lye calculator? Changing the amounts of these oils will have a huge impact on your recipe. Don’t be surprised if you adjust oils multiple times while trying to get the hardness and bubbly numbers where you want them. Here are some tips to follow: Use What You Have One great way to start is by using one of your favorite recipes from this book and then tweaking it. I often try substituting a hard oil with a different hard
oil. Cocoa butter, beeswax, lard, tallow, coconut oil, shea butter, mango butter, and macadamia nut butter are all solids of varying hardness at room temperature. They do not bring the same properties to a bar of soap, but it’s a great way to start familiarizing yourself. Do the same for liquid oils like grapeseed, apricot kernel, sweet almond, hemp seed, or primrose. Interchange one at a time and see how it alters your recipe. Take notes in your soapmaking notebook. Decide by Oil Properties Chapter 3 outlines the properties of many oils. Consider the following factors: For a harder bar, use hard oils like tallow, lard, cocoa butter, or coconut oil. For more cleansing power in your soap, use coconut oil, though if used as more than 40 percent of the oils, your recipe should have a higher superfat, more like 15 to 20 percent, so that it doesn’t dry out your skin. For more bubbles, add honey or castor oil. And for a creamier bar, use beer or shea butter. Use Your Favorite Bulk Oils Most recipes have a hard fat like tallow or lard along with olive oil and coconut oil. I’ve given you a chart (see here ) with a few base oil combinations to try. The easiest way to create your own recipe is to start with olive oil, coconut oil, and tallow (or some similar combination) and then add other oils that you’d like to incorporate. Once you understand more about what these oils and fats bring to soap, you can change your base or bulk oils to different combinations, but always know that these three will make wonderful soap.
▪ ▪ GO-TO BASE OIL COMBINATIONS Always run through a lye calculator! OILS CHARACTERISTICS 33% coconut oil, 33% tallow, 33% olive oil, 10% superfat Hard bar that is cleansing and bubbly 30% tallow, 25% coconut oil, 25% olive oil, 20% favorite liquid oil Conditioning, creamy, hard bar 35% lard, 30% coconut oil, 30% olive oil, 5% castor oil Top-notch bar that has everything: hard, bubbly, creamy, cleansing, conditioning 30% babassu oil, tallow, or lard, 15% any butter, 15% coconut oil, 20% any liquid oil, 15% luxury liquid oil (argan, primrose, hemp), 5% castor oil Very conditioning, creamy bar with good hardness. The oils and butters you choose will determine other qualities. Choose Your Additives Once you’ve created a recipe that is formulated for what you need, it’s time to choose natural additives. Do you want it to be exfoliating? Try ground oats, coffee, or salt. Do you want color? Are you going to make the whole batch one color or do you want to swirl color into the top or create layers? Decide what color(s) you want and look at the chart in chapter 4 (here ) to determine whether you need to infuse oils ahead of time or can add the colorant(s) at trace or to the lye water.
▪ ▪ ▪ Do you want to add dried herbs? Make sure they are dried thoroughly. Prepare teas by soaking ahead of time. Use the water that you have chilled beforehand in your lye water. This will ensure that the herbs don’t bleed into the soap later. Understand that most flower petals (rose, lavender, and so on) will turn brown during saponification, so consider using them on top of the batch instead. Do you want to add milk or honey? Start by substituting milk for only ⅓ of the water in your recipe, then slowly increasing as you get more used to the process. Remember to freeze it to slush before adding the lye crystals so that your batch is light in color. If using honey, use 1 tablespoon per pound at the most. Remember that honey and milk can cause soap to overheat if insulated too well. Do you want to shave or cut up older soaps to insert into this batch? Consider what you have on hand and the color combinations that you want to create. If you have only white soaps to shave or cut, then consider adding color to your recipe to highlight those white pieces. Keep notes in your soapmaking notebook to keep track of your decisions so you can replicate what you like and change what you don’t like next time. Choose Your Scent Even though this is listed last, I’m sure the scent of your new soap is one of the first things you will consider when deciding to create your own recipe. I tried to keep the blends for soap recipes in this book pretty simple since not everyone has 52 different essential oils on their kitchen counter like I do! If you do use more than four essential oils in a recipe, the scents can become more of a tangled mess. Pure scents tend to be either energetic or calming, so consider what mood you are trying to create. Remember to pair middle- or base-note essential oils with top-note oils to
help them last longer in your recipe. For ideas, sometimes I search on Pinterest for “summer essential oil blends” to see what great ideas other users have put together. Smell each essential oil and determine which one is the most powerful. Then, hold them up to your nose before blending and see if the combination makes sense to your senses. RECIPE PLANNING WORKSHEET TITLE DATE Purpose (body, shampoo, face bar, shaving bar): Scent (floral, fresh, woodsy, oriental): Superfat %: Oils I Would Like to Use: Possible Colors: Color Organization (top swirl, deep swirl, layer, full-batch color): Other Additives (exfoliants, honey, milk): RECIPE NOTES
PACKAGING SOAP Designing soap labels and wraps can be a worthwhile craft itself. There are so many beautiful and creative ways to highlight what you’ve worked so hard to make. When it comes to packaging and wrapping soap, there are two distinct camps: those who believe the whole soap should be covered and sealed and those who just want to add their own label or a little decoration to the soap for identification purposes. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. If you completely seal your soap after curing, it will maintain its scent for longer than if it is exposed. The downfall of full wrapping is that you cannot see the soap, and if you use shrink-wrap, you cannot smell the soap. This is fine for gifts, but not so great for selling. (The exception is high-glycerin melt and pour soap. I do suggest shrink-wrapping to seal melt and pour soap because the high glycerin content can sweat and dry out the bar. Sealing solves this problem. If you’re against the use of plastic, use natural wax paper or butcher paper instead.) I was recently at a natural-living fair where there were hundreds of vendors and a number of soapmakers. Out of curiosity, I watched whether people stopped at the soap vendors and what they did when they stopped. People were incredibly drawn to exposed soaps. They loved soaps that they could see, pick up, and smell. I felt so bad for a man who was a few stalls over from a very successful exposed-soap vendor. He had all his soaps fully wrapped in identical opaque wrappers and not one person stopped to see his creations the entire time I watched, even though he offered better prices and fantastic ingredients and scents. For selling, I think fully wrapped soaps are fine if you have unwrapped soaps sitting beside each of the wrapped soaps so that buyers can see, touch, and smell before buying. Even if you use shrink-wrap, you need to provide a naked sample to touch and smell. Fully wrapped soaps, however, are perfect for gift giving and help preserve the scent of your soap. If gift giving is your
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ 1. 2. 3. goal, then this is a great option for you. Wrapping Soap ITEMS NEEDED: Butcher paper Scissors Ribbon Sticker label (optional) Cut a square of butcher paper that is approximately 8 inches on each side (depending on the size and shape of your soap). Wrap your bar as you would a present, trying to keep all ends trimmed and ending on the back of the bar. I like to angle my soaps diagonal to the sides before beginning. Wrap with your favorite ribbon. Tie a bow or use a sticker label to attach the ribbon. Bellybands Another simple and beautiful way of labeling your soap is by creating a bellyband. This is a strip of paper that goes around your soap vertically or horizontally, leaving it open to be touched, seen, and smelled. It can be as simple as a piece of printed paper or a ribbon attached with a label card that is wrapped vertically or horizontally around your beautiful creation. Designing your own label is a lot of fun. There are a number of things to consider, so I’ve given you some questions and thoughts to get you started. 1. What information do you want to include? Consider some of the following:
A. B. C. D. E. F. 2. 3. Your name or company name Soap name Scent Weight Ingredients Logo If you would like to include a graphic and wish to sell your soaps, you should either make your own logo from scratch with a free program like PicMonkey.com or buy a graphic from an online store like CanStockPhoto.com so that you are not breaking any copyright laws. As long as your soap is purely soap and you don’t make any health claims, the current US FDA regulations do not require labels. I still make sure to include the soap’s name and what’s in it because customers like to know. Gift Box or Bag Soapboxes can be fun to design because there are so many options. You can buy white or colored cardboard boxes that are plain or have indentation designs or cutouts like hearts, ovals, or trees. Some have floral prints on the top or closures that look like an origami design. The options are plentiful! You can then wrap them with a ribbon, twine, or colored string. Another option is using an organza bag. These are small, transparent bags that can be colored or have swirls or designs of gold, silver, or other pretty colors. The drawstring closure makes these a fast and beautiful way to package your soaps for events like baby showers and weddings. Gift Box Idea
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ 1. 2. 3. ITEMS NEEDED: Soapbox Jute string Lavender sprig Label (optional) Scissors Start by finding a soapbox. You can find a great variety on Etsy and Amazon.com, as well as a few on Bramble Berry. You’ll want to choose a solid box with or without a small cutout on the top. Tie a jute string around the box, making sure to secure the lavender sprig as you tie the string. If you’d like to add a stylized name or a personalized gift label, slip it under the string.
Sensitive Skin Body Bar with Coconut Milk, here
Measurement Conversions
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Resources and Supplies Some of these resources offer great instructions and all-natural ingredients, only to turn around and also offer synthetic ingredients, so use this list as a resource and choose what you use wisely. Supplies Pure essential oils doTerra Dr. Axe Mountain Rose Herbs Starwest Botanicals Young Living Bulk oils, waxes, butters, clays, herbs Amazon.com Bulk Apothecary Etsy Mountain Rose Herbs Soaper’s Choice Starwest Botanicals Thrive Market Molds, stamps, and other tools Amazon.com Bramble Berry
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Bulk Apothecary Etsy Wholesale Supplies Plus Resources Websites SimpleLifeMom.com ModernSoapmaking.com MillerSoap.com Soap-Making-Resource.com TheNerdyFarmWife.com TheSoapKitchen.co.uk LearningAndYearning.com SoapQueen.com TheHerbalAcademy.com SoapDelicatessen.com OffbeatAndInspired.com LovinSoap.com SoapCalc.net naha.org theherbalacademy.com Other soapmaking books Jan Berry, Simple Natural Soapmaking Susan Miller Cavitch, The Soapmaker’s Companion Anne-Marie Faiola, Pure Soapmaking Daryl K. Gessner, 107 Natural Colorants for Cold Process Soap Alicia Grosso, The Everything Soapmaking Book
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Gregory Lee White, Making Soap From Scratch Resourceful books for natural living Kelly Cable, Natural Beauty from Head to Toe (simplelifemom.com/natural-beauty-from-head-to-toe-ebook ) Christine J. Dalziel, The Beginners’ Book of Essential Oils Rosalee de la Forêt, Alchemy of Herbs Rosemary Gladstar, Herbs for Natural Beauty Maria Noel Groves, Body into Balance Guido Masé and Jovial King, DIY Bitters Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ References Haslauer, Jo. “Modern Soapmaking: From Saponification to Success.” Modern Soapmaking. www.modernsoapmaking.com/author/johaslauer . Naked Chemist. www.thenakedchemist.com National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. “Exploring Aromatherapy: Safety Information.” www.naha.org/explorearomatherapy/safety . Natural Dog Health Remedies. “Safe Essential Oils for Dogs.” www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/essential-oils-for-dogs.html . Roach, Sherri. “A Guide to Essential Oil Safety.” Herbal Academy. www.theherbalacademy.com/a-guide-to-essential-oil-safety . SoapCalc. www.soapcalc.net . Trouiller, B., R. Reliene, A. Westbrook, P. Solaimani, and R. H. Schiesti. “Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induce DNA Damage and Genetic Instability in Vivo in Mice.” Cancer Research 69, no. 22 (November 2009): 8784–89. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-2496.
Acknowledgments There are many people who contributed to making this book such a success. Thank you to those in the Homestead Blogger’s Network for all of your support and kindness, as well as to my very supportive family and friends. I also want to thank my editor Talia Platz for her wonderful research, hard work, and support, as well as my photographer Paige Green and all of those who worked so hard to make this book amazing!
About the Author Kelly Cable is the soapmaker and herbalist behind the popular blog Simple Life Mom . For 10 years, she has been making soap from scratch using all-natural ingredients, and in 2013, she started selling her soaps through her successful Etsy shop. She regularly leads soapmaking classes in three states. She lives outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three children. Learn more at SimpleLifeMom.com .